ppl resources · Moving your contacts

Bring Apple Contacts into ppl with a vCard file

Export a .vcf file from Contacts on Mac, use ppl’s vCard import and review the result before moving more contacts.

Updated October 10, 2026 · ppl team

A vCard file is the practical starting point for moving contacts from Apple Contacts into ppl. An Apple Contacts archive is a different format. Keep an archive as a backup if you want one, but use a .vcf file for this import.

Export a small group on your Mac

Open Contacts and select a few familiar people. Use File → Export → Export vCard and save the file somewhere you can find it. Apple’s guide distinguishes the .vcf export from a Contacts Archive, which uses .abbu. Read Apple’s export guide.

Before exporting, check Contacts → Settings → vCard if you want notes or photos included. Review what is actually in the file before sharing it. Apple also documents a Numbers-based CSV route, but a vCard is the more direct choice for this guide.

Use the vCard importer

Sign in to ppl and open the vCard import page in Settings. This is separate from the CSV column-mapping screen. Upload the .vcf file, then review the import report when processing finishes. Do not rename an .abbu archive to .vcf; changing the filename does not convert the contents.

ppl’s vCard importer handles common contact information including names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, organization information and notes. Contact applications do not always represent the same fields the same way, so treat the first batch as a check, not a guarantee that every custom label or field will transfer.

Inspect the details that matter

Look at a person with more than one email address, a birthday without a known year, an accented name and a longer note. Compare these with the original records. Check the import report for skipped contacts and errors before retrying the file. Repeated uploads can create confusing results if you do not know which records were already added.

Keep the original export until the records you rely on are correct. Plan the complete transfer within ppl’s current 1,000-contact hosted beta allowance. See current availability.

Keep your phone contacts while you evaluate

The file transfer adds records to ppl. It does not by itself create a live connection back to iCloud. Keep Apple Contacts doing its everyday job while you try relationship notes and follow-ups in ppl. See how the two can work alongside each other.